The 2018 boys soccer team will be immortalized in St. Edward history after a 2nd place finish in the IHSA Class 1A State Championship. St. Edward, who ended the year 24-2-1, came up just short in state championship on Oct. 27, losing to Quincy Notre Dame 0-2. The first goal came in short time after the second minute. The second goal came in minute 36. With only one half left to play and down 0-2, the Wave offense went guns blazing, playing extremely offensive while holding Notre Dame off on the defensive end. Unfortunately, the stingy Notre Dame defense was able to contain all the St. Edward weapons.
In the state semifinal the Wave got a better result with a 3-1 victory against Chicago Acero/Soto. The Wave had scary start with an early goal from Acero player Jose Gonzalez, but in the 38th minute Carlos Ibarra crossed the ball into Jackson Godfrey who was waiting in the center of the box. Josh Johanson, the leading scorer for the Wave, scored the game winner with an absolute screamer that tipped the inside post and found the back of the net in the 68th minute. Just 6 minutes later, Chase Brieger added the final goal of the 2018 season for the Wave to secure their spot in the state championship.

The team headed down to Peoria last Friday after they defeated Francis Parker in the IHSA Class 1A SupeSectional 2-0 on Oct. 23. The Wave started off the action within the first 2 minutes with a goal from defensemen Carson Scarnegie off winger Zack Olenek. The game went back and forth until half where the score remained tied. Four minutes after the halftime break, the ball went out of bounds in a dangerous spot for Francis Parker’s defense. Olenek tossed the ball off a flip to the back post where he found the head of midfielder Carlos Ibarra who was crashing in and blew it past the goalie. Fantastic performances from the back line featuring seniors Carson Scarengie, Mikey Lopez, Emilio Martinez and junior Cameron Kruk, combined with another clean sheet from Evan Sajitar kept Francis Parker at zero for the day. St. Edward ended Francis Parker’s state run last year as well with a 2-1 victory in the Super-Sectional.

The team won the IHSA Class 1A sectional championship on Oct. 20. They defeated Stillman Valley 4-0 in the sectional semifinal after defeating Rockford Christian 3-2 in the sectional championship.ohansen started the action with an early goal in the ninth minute. Fifteen seconds later, the Lions responded with a goal of their own by Gage Wiebe. While it seemed like the teams were going to go into the half deadlocked, Urial Carachure crossed the ball into Jackson Godfrey where he scored with just seconds left. With 9 minutes left in regulation Andy Volk shot a direct free kick to tie the game. The game went into overtime and with 25 seconds left the Wave had the last laugh. Scarnegie appeared in the right place at the right time and scored the game winning goal. The Wave have been the hump that Rockford Lions have not been able to get over as they have knocked them out of post season play the last three years and defeated them 2-0 earlier in the season.